bereave C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes US /bɪˈriv/ UK /bɪˈriːv/ See IPA manual Minimal pairs Sounds like believe /l/ vs /ɹ/ Sounds like beleave /l/ vs /ɹ/ Meanings 1 verb to deprive of someone or something, especially by death The war bereaved her of both sons. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 verb · to deprive of someone or... deprivedispossessstripdivestrob ↔ Opposites endowprovidebestow Word family Forms bereavedbereavesbereaving Derived forms bereavementbereavedbereaver Related forms reavebereft Etymology AI details From Old English berēafian ('to deprive, rob'), from be- + rēafian ('to rob, plunder'), from Proto-Germanic *raubōną. berēafian Old English *raubōną Proto-Germanic View etymology graph -> Topics Actions & Processes External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # bereave **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** verb **IPA (US):** /bɪˈriv/ **IPA (UK):** /bɪˈriːv/ ## Meanings 1. to deprive of someone or something, especially by death ## Examples - The war bereaved her of both sons. ## Synonyms - deprive - dispossess - strip - divest - rob ## Antonyms - endow - provide - bestow ## Derived Forms - bereavement - bereaved - bereaver ## Related Forms - reave - bereft ## Roots and Affixes - Root: berēafian - Root: *raubōną ## Etymology From Old English berēafian ('to deprive, rob'), from be- + rēafian ('to rob, plunder'), from Proto-Germanic *raubōną. ## AI Etymology Bereave is from Old English berēafian ('to deprive, rob'), from be- + rēafian ('to rob, plunder'), from Proto-Germanic *raubōną. Important recorded forms include berēafian (Old English) and *raubōną (Proto-Germanic). Morphologically, the word is a built form whose named elements carry part of the historical sense. The current sense covers to deprive of someone or something, especially by death. The wider family includes derived forms such as bereavement, bereaved, and bereaver and related words such as reave and bereft. ## Topics - Actions & Processes markdown